Calculating machine



March 13, 1934. G. TAUSCHEK CALCULATING MACHINE Filed April 5," 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. ,13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE W CALCULATING MACHINE Application April 5, 1928, Serial No. 267,730 In Austria April 15, 1927 16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in calculating machines and more particularly to an arrangement for automatically carrying out the operation of division after having set the dividend and divisor. Such arrangements are not new per se, but all known arrangements of this kind comprise complicated and delicate mechanisms and can be used only for a certain type of calculating machine.

In the arrangement constructed according to the present invention, calculating operations are effected under control of electric circuits so that not only are the complicated mechanisms previously used dispensed with, but the arrangement has the advantage that it can be used in machines of any kind of construction; staggered rollers, sprocket wheel machines, and so forth, without any or with very little alteration.

One mode of carrying out the present invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, in which there is shown in perspective one type of machine to which the present improvements may be applied.

In the illustrated embodiment, in a manner well known in the type of machine shown, by setting the small adjusting knobs 1 the dividend is entered or-set up in the accumulator of the machine and subsequently the divisor is set up by means of the setting members 2. The carriage 3 is then shifted by hand into the position corresponding to the first dividing operation. The division-key 4 is then depressed, so that an electric. circuit is closed by way of the switch and contacts 5 to cause the energization of a magnet 6. The latter attracts its armature and positions a coupling gear 7 so that the driving shaft 8 operated by a motor (not shown) is coupled by means of bevel wheels 9 and 9a with a bevel gear 10', rotatable with the shaft 10a of the machine which is the usual calculation shaft of the machine and thus operates the shaft 10a in one direction for carrying out the operation of division in a well known manner. In case the division has been carried out to such an extent that an overdraft has been obtained the Figure 9 appears in the accumulator at'the left of the dividend. The figure-wheel 11 in one of such places and preferably disposed at the extreme left of the accumulator closes an electric circuit by way of the contact 12 to cause the energization of the magnet 13. The contact 12 is engaged during the transfer from 0 to 9 and thus the same acts in the same way as the tens transfer tooth of known calculating machines. The operation of the tens transfer devices of machines of the type to which the present improvements are applied occurs at the end of the rotation of the calculating shaft 10a, and thus contacts 12 close to cause energization of magnet 13 at times always coincident with the completion of the rotation'of calculating shaft 10a in the direction necessary when effecting subtraction. The magnet 13 attracts its armature and thereby opens the contacts 5, and at the same time positions a coupling gear 14 in such a manner that the bevel gear 10 rotatable with the shaft 10a is now directly coupled with the shaft 8. The coupling gear 7 will be disengaged because the circuit of the magnet 6 is interrupted by the opening of the contacts 5. The coupling gear '7 is shifted by the armature of magnet 6 and the armature is attracted against the action of a spring 6a if current passes through the magnet 6.

If the current-supply to the latter is interrupted, the spring 6a moves the armature and thus the coupling gear 7 is carried out of engagement with the bevel wheel 9. Now the calculating shaft 10a of the machine carries out a rotation in the opposite direction necessary to perform addition, whereby the nines in the accumulator carriage disappear and the contact 12 is again opened. The magnet 13 is 'deenergized, and the coupling gear 14 is disengaged from bevel gear 10 in the same way as has just been described with reference to the coupling gear '7. After the machine has completely carried out the addition operation a nose 15 of the gear 14 engages a recess 16 in a shaft support. Before this engagement takes place, a cam 17 closes contacts 18 to cause a current impulse to traverse a magnet 19. The latter operates a carriage shift key 20 (usual in calculating machines of the type shown) which controls suitable escapement mechanism to be described hereinafter, for the carriage so that the carriage is free to move to the left to the extent of one denomination. In this way the magnet 19 preprepares for the closure of a circuit by means of contacts 21, which circuit is completed when the division operation has been carried out for the last quotient digit and at which time a contact 22 of the carriage in the last position of the latter comes into contact with a coordinated contact 23. The current, passing in said circuit by means of the contacts 21 and the contacts 22 and 2? energizes a magnet 24 which causes the opening of the division-switch 25. The armature of the magnet 24 serves as a latch for the upper portion of the switch 25 when the upper portion is depressed by the key 4. If the carriage is not already in the last position before the engagement of the nose 15 with the recess 16, by the closure of contacts 5 the machine again goes through the operation of division and this procedure is repeated until the division operation has been completely carried out.

The escapement mechanism provided for the carriage is of the usual type and forms no part of the present invention. For the purposes of illustration the type fully described and shown in the patent to Schaaf, No. 1,426,223, dated August 15, 1922 is selected and where possible in describing the mechanism herein reference characters similar to those in the patent are employed. When the armature of magnet 19 is attracted by the energization of the magnet it rocks an arm 17a pivotally carried by a shaft 76. On said shaft there is mounted a double arm '7'785 movable with the arm 17a by a sleeve '78 and which double arm corresponds to the swinging members '77, 85 in said patent.

The escapement pawl is indicated by numeral 81 and is provided with a circular opening through which passes a pin carried by arm '77. When the pin 80 is raised the pawl 81 is raised above the teeth of the rack bar 25a carried by the carriage 3 and such action takes place when the magnet 19 is energized. At the same time pin 8'7 carried by arm 85 is lowered so that holding dog 89 is dropped and the latter engages a tooth of the rack bar 25a of the carriage 3 before the escapement pawl 81 is elevated sufficiently to release the carriage. When the holding dog 89 is subsequently elevated due to the deenergization of magnet 19 it releases the rack bar 25a and then the carriage by means ofa spring 91 connected thereto jumps to the left a step under control of the escapement pawl 81.

As is well known, brakes for the wheels, or spring urged devices cooperating with notches in the wheels may be provided for stopping the numeral wheels at the correct numeral positions instead of allowing their momentum to carry them past their proper positions.

What is claimed'is as follows:--

1. A calculating machine comprising means operated one way for effecting division operations by successive negative registrations and another way to restore the dividend to a positive condition, electrical control means effective when the dividend is in an overdraft condition for causing said means to operate to restore the dividend to a positive condition, said control means thereafter controlling the operating means whereby further division operations may ensue.

2. A calculating machine as set forth in claim 1 further including a member shifted to effect successive division operations and means under control of the electrical control means for causing said member tobe shifted.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further characterized by the provision of an electric circuit for initiating the division operations and means whereby said circuit is automatically rendered ineffective at the completion of the division operations,

4. A calculating machine comprising, electrical control means for effecting division operations of the dividend until an overdraft condition is reached, and other electrical controlmeans for restoring the dividend to a positive condition and for thereafter causing division operations with respect to the remainder of the dividend.

5. A calculating machine comprising, means for initiating division operations of a dividend and divisor, electrical control means for continuing division operations until an overdraft condition is reached, other electrical control means for restoring the dividend to a positive condition and for thereafter causing division operations of the remainder of the dividend, and electrical control means for disabling the initiating means when the division operation has been completed.

6. A calculating machine comprising, a member shifted step-by-step for effecting successive division operations of values represented by a series of denominationally ordered accumulator elements, means including an electric circuit for controlling the shifting of said member, and means whereby the highest denominationally ordered element controls the last named means when it represents a. negative condition of the accumulator.

'7. A calculating machine comprising, a memher, an accumulator, and electric control means I controlled by the accumulator for causing the member to be shifted when an overdraft condition is reached for effecting division operations of the remaining orders of the accumulator.

8. A machine for carrying out the operation of division comprising, manually operated means for initiating-the operation of division of two factors, a main driving shaft, means including an electric circuit controlled by the manually operable means for effecting the operation of the shaft in one direction, means including another electric circuit effective when an overdraft is reached for reversing the operation of the shaft, and means for releasing the manually operable means when the division operation is completed.

9. A calculating machine, including an accumulator, a drive shaft for carrying out the operation of division, means for causing the rotation of said shaft in either direction, separate electric controlling means for determining the direction of rotation of the shaft, manually operable means controlling one electric controlling means to effect by the first namedmeans the initiation of the operation of the shaft in one direction to effect division by subtraction operations, and means controlled by the highest denominationally ordered element of the accumulator when it represents an overdraft'condition of the accumulator to control the other electric controlling means for effecting by the first named means the operation of the shaft in the other direction.

10. A calculating machine comprising, a carriage carrying an accumulator, an electric controlling means, and means controlled by the highest denominationallyordered element of the accumulator for rendering said electric controlling means effective to cause shifting of said carriage when the accumulator represents an overdraft condition.

11. A calculating machine comprising, an accumulator carriage, a shaft for carrying out the operation of division by successive negative registration, an electric controlling means controlled by the highest denominationally ordered element of the accumulator for causing said carriage to be shifted to another position when an overdraft or negative condition is reached, and means whereby said electric controlling means effects the operation of the shaft to cause said accumulator to represent a positive condition to thereafter effect the division operation in remaining orders of the accumulator.

12. A calculating machine comprising an accumulator carriage, an electric controlling means controlled by the highest denominationally ordered element of the accumulator for causing the carriage to occupy a new position each time the element represents an overdraft condition, and means whereby said electriccontrolling means causes said accumulator to be operated to represent a positive condition prior to shifting said carriage.

13. A calculating machine comprising, an accumulator carriage, manually operable means for automatically initiating the operation of division of two factors, electrical control means controlled by the highest denominationally ordered element of the accumulator for effecting a new position of the accumulator after each division operation, and means whereby said can'iage effects the restoration of the manually operable means when thedivis'ion operation is completed.

14. In a machine adapted to automatically carry out the operation of division the combination with a main drive shaft adapted to carry out the division operation, of means for effecting rotation of the driving shaft in either direction, and a controlling means including an electric circuit controlled by the highest denominationally ordered element of the accumulator in the machine for automatically causing, when an overdraft has been reached, the direction of rotation of said shaft to be reversed.

15. A machine adapted to be set into operation and automatically carry out the operation of division comprising, a main driving shaft, an accumulator, and an electric control apparatus for automatically determining the direction of rotation of the shaft dependent upon the positive or negative condition of the accumulator and for causing correspondingly the automatic shift of the accumulator.

16. A machine adapted to automatically carry out the operation of division comprising, a carriage carrying an accumulator, said carriage being shiftable for each division operation, means operable to automatically initiate the operation of division, an electric circuit controlled by an element of the accumulator, and means whereby said circuit causes the carriage to be automatically shifted when the accumulator is in an overdraft condition.

GUSTAV TAUSCHEK. 

